¢69m support to Bolga water bodies

The District Capacity Building Project, a Canadian development organization working in the country, has presented a cheque for ¢69 million to the Association of Water and Sanitation Development Boards (AWSDB) in Bolgatanga.

The Team Leader of DISCAP, Dr Chris Brown, who made the presentation at a ceremony in Bolgatanga, said the donation was part of DISCAP's institutional support aimed at enabling the Association to undertake the timely compilation of debts owed to the WSDB by government institutions for prompt payment.

He said the donation was also meant to help the Association to organize its annual general meeting (AGM) and expressed the hope that the Association would use the AGM as a forum to discuss its role after DISCAP's exit from the area in July 2007.

Dr Brown expressed satisfaction with the Association's achievements, describing it as "a powerful lobby and advocacy group that can always influence national policy, especially for post-construction management of community owned water systems."

He urged the Association to demonstrate practical interest in DISCAP-supported training courses in the Polytechnics and the Tamale School of Hygiene.

The President of AWSDB, Mr. Peter Anoah, who received the cheque on behalf of the Association, thanked DISCAP for its continued assistance and expressed regret that the project was ending soon.

"Post-DISCAP activities in sustaining water systems are very important and we accept the challenge of actively supporting Water Boards to sustain the achievements of DISCAP," he acknowledged.

DISCAP began work in 2001, with the main objective of ensuring that community managed water systems were efficiently operated using local resources.

To ensure the attainment of this objective, DISCAP institutionalized certificate-training courses at the Tamale and Bolgatanga polytechnics, Nandom Vocational Institute, Tamale School of Hygiene and the Institute of Local Government Studies for capacity building on a sustainable basis.

Source: GNA